1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method and system for managing target files linked to referring documents and, more particularly, to a system and method for viewing, embedding, providing security for, and deleting target files referred to by referring documents.
2. Description of Related Art
There are three common ways to incorporate data into a document, as an attachment, as a link, or by embedding the data in the document. Embeds are essentially the same as attachments. A file that is attached to a document becomes a part of that document. The attached file inherits all the services, such as security, available to its host document.
A special type of server computer configuration designed to enhance the support of large attachments is called Single-Copy-Object-Store. Using Single-Copy-Object-Store, an attachment in a document, such as a mail document (hereinafter “referring document”), becomes a pointer to a target document in a server computer where a receiving database resides. One example of a receiving database is a mail.nsf database. From user's perspective the attachment (target document) behaves as if it were a true attachment. But, storage requirements are ameliorated if the attachment is sent to many users serviced by the same server computer, because only a single copy of the attachment is stored.
However, there is not an efficient method or system in the prior art for managing target documents and referring documents to conserve memory in server computers that contain referring documents and target documents, for example, by deleting unneeded documents. Further, there is no system and method in the prior art for effectively providing security for target documents referred to in referring documents.
In light of the above-mentioned disadvantages, there is an apparent need for a system and method for providing security for target files referred to by referring documents. Further, there is a need for a system and method for managing target files referred to by referring documents, which enables a target document to be deleted when the target document is no longer linked to any referring documents.